Periodic dredging of sea and river ports and channels must be performed in order to maintain safe navigable waterways. Unfortunately, due to pollution of our waterways, the dredged material often contains substances which does not allow easy disposal of the dredged material either at sea, or on land. In addition the dredged material typically includes very finely suspended solids which are difficult to separate from the aqueous suspensions and solidify. Moreover, such material includes finely divided clays, shells and organic matter which is typically not directly usable as landfill material.
Conventional approaches for treating dredged materials have included settling techniques and dewatering of the dredged material. Unfortunately, settling procedures require extended term periods and often cannot be practically employed in view of the large amounts of material which must be dredged from a waterway or the vast acreage requirements for settling. In addition dewatering can be an expensive and inefficient process. Further, dredged material contaminated with pollutants, even if dewatered cannot be easily disposed of in landfill or at sea without detriment to the environment.